American Indians and Alaskan Natives appear to suffer from a high rate of eating disorders, according to a study presented at the International Eating Disorders Conference last week.

Dr. Rebecka Peebles of Stanford University said American Indians and Alaskan Natives are much more likely than whites to use laxatives to control weight. She said 47 percent of Native Americans had been hospitalized at least once as a result of eating disorders, compared with about 13 percent of whites.

Native Americans also reported a longer duration of disordered eating than other groups and had higher swings in weight than other groups, Peebles said Her study was based on an Internet questionnaire.